Hello all,
The Yellowstone Adventure number 2 is off to a great start. The first night of the trip was a bit hectic due to Delta Airlines, but the group rallied and ended up having a wonderful evening filled with cheeseburgers and ultimate frisbee. The boys hit the hay early as the anticipation of what was to come started to set in. The next two weeks would be spent in America’s oldest, and arguably most beautiful, national park chasing large native cutthroat trout.
The first full day of the trip was spent traveling to the park. The group woke early to a breakfast of fried egg sandwiches, hash browns, and of course Jimmy Dean. We loaded up the van and set off on an adventure full of fish and lifelong memories. We arrived at Madison Campground and set up camp. That afternoon was spent prepping for our backcountry that was quickly approaching. That night we headed to Yellowstone Lake for some casting practice. All the boys greatly improved and would be ready for the days to come. We had a Madison Campground staple of chicken stir fry for dinner. The good thing about chicken stir fry is that it’s packed with protein and yet is still light. It is a perfect meal before a backcountry hike.
The group was split into two on the morning of the backcountry. The first group hiked into Grebe Lake to try their hand at the rare and yet overly eager west slope cutthroat. The boys spent the day walking the grassy banks looking for the unmistakable subtlety of a cutty eat whilst blue damsel flies buzzed around their heads as if to share the secret to catching one of these elusive fish. As the sun started to rest beyond the pines the fishing continued to improve. That night was filled with caddis and stoneflies dancing across the glassy surface of the lake attempting to dodge the noses of the cutthroats. Dinner that night was backcountry Thanksgiving. A dinner completely out of season and yet always seems to hit the spot after a long day of hiking and chasing fish. Maybe it’s because each serving has 2,000 calories or so, but who’s to say?
The second group hiked into Ice Lake to attempt to catch one of the most beautiful fish in North America. The grayling is easily identifiable by its large dorsal fin, purple scales, and blue spots freckled around its body. These otherworldly fish sip flies off the surface and quickly duck back under the water’s surface. Unfortunately, due to the warmer weather, the grayling didn’t show their faces until the last moments of the day. The wait to gaze upon their beauty was well worth it and will be cherished for many years to come. The next day the groups would switch lakes to finish out the backcountry.
The trip is flying by. I can’t believe our first backcountry is already gone. We are pumped to see what the rest of the trip has in store. Today the boys did laundry and took much-needed showers. We’ll be having a pizza party this evening before we venture back into the park where we will be staying at Bridge Bay for the next few days. We will be chasing gigantic Yellowstone cutthroat on Yellowstone Lake and the Yellowstone River. We are pumped to share what happens in the next update!
Until next time,
Hunt, Ketchell, Sean, and the boys
